The Grenada gazette., 1887-06-11
~~-' 80 49, ''--s
THE PRESBYTEBIANs,

lnat one of the principal questions
that was to come before the assembly
OF the PresbyterIans South, hela in
St. Louis very recently, would be
that Of organic Or cooperative union,
and, consequently, some of the stgon.'
gest and most talented men on either
side were sent prepared to meet i.
Among those vino opposed the meas
ure most prominently was DR.. B. M.
Palmer, of New Orleans. DIR. Palmer
is recognized as one Of the leading
diyines of A,melica, and has always
welded great power in the Southern
Presbyterian Church. The following
is an extract Of bis speech against
the appointment Of the committee Of
conference: ''
I'm 1851 the General Assembly
adopted the resplutions which go by
the name Of the venerable man who
presented them, '!The Spring Rsso-
lutions.'i Those resolutions UNDER
took to decide ana did decide, not
only political question, but polit-
ical question that involved all other
political questions. A political ques-
ton so serious in its character chat it
had been left undetermined by the
trainers Of the constitution in 1897,
because in that day the parties en-
gagged in copstructinga republic were
unable to agree upon it. Those
resolutions decided it with q sharp
ness and precision which could not
be exceeded by decree rendered by
The supreWe Court Of the United
States. They determined where the
paramount sovereignty lodged,
whether allegiance is first due to the
State, or whether it is due to the
general government. That question
they undertook to decide, they did
decide it. They enjoined it as de-
cision rendered by the highest court
OF the church upon the consciences
of all the members of the church
North and South, and under the
peculiar circumstances under which
that decision was rendered, it was
simply q writ of ejectment. go that
as soon as possible all the Presby-
teries throughout eleven Synods were
compelled to withdraw and integrate
themselves into the assembly of
which this is the lineal SUCCESSOR
and from that day to this those de-
liverances of 1861, and the years
succeeding 1861, have been stored in
the archives Of that church as most
sacred and precious testimonies
which are never to be touched, The
law, therefore, of 1861, which decides
the question Of allegiance for the
members of the Southern church,
do not speak as to the deliverance,
but to the right which the church
claimed to make the deliverance--
this is still the law of the Northern
Presbyterian Church. Now suppose
these brethren so anxious for reunion
succeed in carrying me and you into
nj IN .pni0n with fhn Nnrt harm
body, The very moment l cross the
threshold Of that court | con sent to
the right of the church, although it
claims to be purely spiritual, and of
the Lord Jesus Christ to decide for
me, and my children after me, where
my allegiance is due. Thanks be to
God, tile domain of thought is sacred
and cannot be invaded by the stron-
gest tyrant that ever lived. Chains
may be thrown around my limbs
and I may be mangled and fettered
to a stone wall. but that tyrant never
lived upon this globe who could I'M.
prison my thoughts or forbid me TO
think the thing that is true or desire
to do the thing that is right. They
cannot abridge my rights to think as
l please, but when I CROSS the thresh-
old of that court do surrender, the
moment l cross that threshold, as a
witness for that truth. Now, sir, l
contend that in the providence of
God the southern church came from
the Northern church in 1861, under
circumstance which compelled US to
be witnesses for the spirituality of
the Lords kingdom and to hold 1t up
before the nations of the world, until
It should be recognized throughout
the EARTH"
While this Ia q matter in which we
are not specially interested. 1t seems
to US that the theory of DIR. Palmer's
TNI,n .h Nnt,